StakeholderRelations.com

Ron Anderson - Associate

We have known and worked with Ron Anderson for over 20 years, and he brings an unique experience of regional economic development, the rural/agriculture community, wind energy, political insight and managing initiatives through to a pragmatic outcome.

 

Ron has worked for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in the positions of Sustainable Development Manager; Manager of Business Retention and Expansion; as well as Agriculture Coordinator.

 

Ron has also managed the Land Stewardship Program for the Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association, and been Environmental Farm Plan Coordinator for Kent County, and even has the practical political experience of having been a provincial candidate.

 

Recently Ron has been serving as Sustainable Development Manager for Krueger Inc’s wind operation, and continues to work his 200 acre family farm in Dover Township.     

Michael Dearden, Associate
Educated at the University of Western Ontario, Michael Dearden has served as a Chief of Staff to two federal Cabinet, Ministers, as Manager of Government Relations and Communications at the Canadian Bar Association Ontario as well as a government relations consultant at Hill and Knowlton Canada.
From 1996 through 2004 Dearden & Associates was contracted to provide advice and assistance to the Ontario Reality Corporation with issue management, stakeholder relations and communications, a project that StakeholderRelations.com brought in as part of D&A's contract team.  In addition to ongoing work in the areas identified, Michael worked directly with the President and CEO of ORC on a number of special projects and major initiatives. Much of this work involved relations with local government ORC's most important external stakeholder.
 
 Michael works at the local, provincial and federal levels for his clients having been on both sides of the table for all levels of government, representing domestic and foreign-based clients to governments across Canada. Michael specializes in managing complex multi-stakeholder issues that often include more than one level of government as well as private sector and community interests.

Stakeholder Relations is “smart” business model.  We create customized multi-disciplinary teams to provide a truly integrated approach to the successful scoping or completion of your project


Each Associate runs their own successful business, but also choose to be part of the Stakeholder Relations special services teams because we work well together, and enjoy the satisfaction of taking on challenging projects.

Who We Are

George Paisiovich, Principal
George Paisiovich started his public policy experience in the House of Commons in 1976 as Special Assistant to the Chief Opposition Whip.   Over the past 35 years he has served as Chief of Staff to Canada’s Minister of National Revenue, Customs & Excise; as well as the Executive/ Special Assistant to 8 Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Ottawa and Queen’s Park.
His campaign experience began on national and Ontario youth executives, campaigns across Canada, numerous leadership campaigns, President Ford’s 1976 campaign and doing media in Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s third election.  As a Campaign Manager, George had an 83% victory rate.  

George has provided contractual services for communications, training and stakeholder management systems to over 34 cabinet minister offices, the Office of the Premier of Ontario, as well as numerous senior civil servant managers.

George’s work has included working for a variety of interests often seen as traditional opponents - from quarries to environmental organizations; conservative organizations to not-for-profits; and from international corporations to family farms - George transcends the old thinking and helps facilitate the configuration of sustainable mutual interests.

In recognition of George’s national and community service he was awarded the Governor General’s Commemorative Medal of the 125th Anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 1992

George is a frequently requested session leader on public policy communications, stakeholder relations and crisis management.

Al Sandilands, Associate

With a B.Sc. in biology from the University of Waterloo, and 40 years of experience as an ecologist, Al spent his first 8 years after university working for a conservation authority before evolving as a consultant to environmental consulting firms.

 

We first became aware of Al and his firm Gray Owl Environmental Inc. a number of years ago during one the most entrenched regulatory standoffs, on one of Ontario’s most environmentally significant areas - Pelee Island.  Al Sandilands typifies the difference between being just smart and being wise - which is often the difference between achieving agreement or lawyers at the OMB.   We know from experience that when it comes to environmental stakeholders, Al has a respectful appreciation for all views, and the experience to move the issues and interests toward the best cooperative, science based, accommodation achievable.

 

In addition to working for the private sector, Al has also worked for municipal governments and provincial and federal agencies. Although his formal training was in fisheries and aquatic entomology, he has evolved into a wildlife biologist specializing in ornithology and species at risk. He is writing a four-volume book entitled the Birds of Ontario: Habitat Requirements, Limiting Factors, and Status. The first two volumes, which cover the nonpasserines, have already been published. He has dealt with over 50 different species of risk including inventories, preparation of 2 COSEWIC reports, preparation of a draft recovery strategy, and successful negotiation of permits under the federal Species at Risk Act and the provincial Endangered Species Act, 2007.

 

Karen J. McMillan - Associate

She’s directed events for clients with Mikhail Gorbachev, and General (ret’d), Secretary of State, Colin Powell, amongst many others.  

 

As the Principal of McAver Group, Karen has many skills and offers many services for project management and event facilitation, and we are most pleased that she has agreed to be part of our operational network.  

 

We invited Karen to become one of our Associates because we wanted to give our public, private and not-for-profit clients access to one of the best in the area of turnkey event and project management. Trade shows, gala dinners, fundraisers, corporate events, public policy conferences - all are part of our full range of client care services.

 

We have worked with Karen on numerous projects over 20 years, and whether it has been security challenges, staying on budget, special services for VIP guests and family, or creating an environment that motivates your audience -together we have the experience and resources to give you the confidence that you will look professional to those who matter most.

 

Doug MacKenzie - Associate

This past year, Doug MacKenzie has been a front page news maker for forming and leading two community organizations - CMGRA and C4CA - in their successful fight to stop a power plant being built near schools and homes in Oakville.

 

Douglas is someone we have worked with on several major stakeholder relations projects involving securing federal,  provincial and community agreements for several green energy ethanol plants.  Over the past 16 years of working together, we have come to respect Douglas for the passion he has for the causes he believes in; his extensive senior level business experience; an extraordinary ability to formulate complex technical science and correlate it into pragmatic and human terms; his candid moral compass and strategic sense.  Between Pelee Island and the Oakville power plant, we have both been at the centre of two of the most challenging community/regulatory conflicts in Ontario so far this century.

 

Doug’s professional career has included: President and C.E.O. - PERMOLEX INTERNATIONAL L.P. (current); President and C.E.O. - PACIFIC RIM ETHANOL; President and C.E.O. - COMMERCIAL ALCOHOLS; Executive Vice President - SUNOCO Group; Senior Vice President  Central Region - PETRO CANADA; and Assistant General Manager Development - IMPERIAL OIL.  Doug has a M.B.A. from York University;  a M.S., Management Science, Stanford University;  and a B.Sc. Engineering Physics, Major Nuclear Physics University of Alberta

 

Semi-retired now but still active in a number of interests, we look forward to continuing to work with Douglas on new challenges.

Carrie Brooks-Joiner - Associate

We first met Carrie Brooks-Joiner during a municipal election where she excelled as a facilitating chair of the campaign management meetings; constantly re-calibrating the focus, finessing the personalities, and consistently ensuring we always ended up with team consensus of pragmatic deliverables.

 

Carrie has worked with the non-profit community for almost three decades.  Her firm, Carrie Brooks-Joiner & Associates specializes in supporting the arts, culture and heritage priorities of non-profit organizations and municipalities.  Her client base also includes environmental and social services NGOs.  A reformed government bureaucrat, Carrie brings expertise in strategic planning, facilitation, policy development, and governance.  

 

As a volunteer, Carrie is a former President of the Ontario Museum Association, a member of the Community Investment and Linkages Committee of the United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton, and of the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Tackling Poverty Together Advisory Committee.

 

Carrie teaches at the university level and is a frequent conference speaker and workshop leader. Her educational background includes a Masters of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, a Certificate in Voluntary Sector Management from York University and a certificate in non-profit governance from the McMaster University Governance Institute.   

Dennis Jack - Associate
Dennis Jack was raised on family farm in Chatham Kent, and was named  an Honourary Professional Agrologist  2003 by the Ontario Institute of Agrologists, and Agriculturalist of the year 2005 by the Chatham-Kent District Chamber of Commerce.   

Dennis served as a member and County President of Cattlemen , Soil and Crop Improvement Association, as well as serving 5 years as trustee on Kent County School Board.  We worked with him in helping to develop Ontario’s first ethanol policy and program when he was President of the Ontario Corn Producers Association.

Dennis is past chair of the Ridgetown College Foundation, and is current Chair of the Grain Financial Board of Ontario.  He is past board member of Agris Co op, and is currently Director of the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame .

In addition to being a knowledgeable straight shooter, we appreciate being able to send a real farmer to talk things over with rural folks, instead of some junior suit from a Toronto PR firm who wouldn’t even think to put some boots in the trunk.   Dennis knows agriculture, and has known the politics and policies of Ontario for more than a few decades - and that kind of experience they just can’t teach at Guelph.  

Tim Dobbie - Associate
When it comes to municipal governance in Ontario, we couldn’t think of anyone better than Tim Dobbie, a well established and respected professional in the municipal world, whose profile includes being Past President of the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association (OMAA).  We like working with Tim because he is intuitively strategic, experienced, well connected, and dare we say - Tim can “make us wise while making us laugh”.
 

Tim was appointed City Manager for the City of Burlington in October of 1995, overseeing 700 employees and an annual budget of $100 million, and is a graduate of Civil Engineering from McMaster University.  As the City Manager of the City of Burlington, Tim Dobbie was engaged in a considerable number of governance issues dealing not only with the City of Burlington, but also the Region of Halton and the other area municipalities, as well as a “Who Does What” review of all municipal services in Halton Region.
 

Tim has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Canadian Public Relations Society and the Hamilton-Halton Professional Engineers Chapter of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and the Hamilton Engineering Institute.

 

In 2007, Tim retired after 33 years of service formed a consulting business upon his retirement, and his projects have included: the Jobs Prosperity Collaborative of Hamilton; many executive searches, organizational and governance reviews; strategic plan consultations for Regions and land developers, as well as ongoing executive assistance for the Hamilton Utilities Corporation.

Dave Meslin - Associate

Dave Meslin is a Toronto-based artist, consultant, trainer and organizer.  His work focuses on civic engagement and building multi- partisan projects that encourage more people to get involved with local politics.  He has collaborated with partners across the political spectrum, including Jack Layton, Judy Rebick, Guy Giornio, Glen Murray, and Josh Matlow.

 

Dave has worked as an Executive Assistant at both Queen's Park and City Hall, but mostly works outside the political system, including six months he spent in Argentina making a documentary film with Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein.

 

Dave has instigated a handful of projects and initiatives in Toronto including the Toronto Public Space Committee ('01), Spacing Magazine (’03), WhoRunsThisTown project (’06), City Idol (’06), the Toronto Cyclists Union (’08), Dandyhorse Magazine (’08), Better Ballots (’08), WindFest (’10) and the Ranked Ballot Initiative ('11).

 

Most recently, Dave was the co-editor of "Local Motion: The Art of Civic Engagement in Toronto", which was published in November 2010 by Coach House Press as the final book in their "uTOpia" series.

 

Dave embraces ideas and projects that cut across traditional boundaries between grassroots politics, electoral politics and the arts community. In his work, he attempts to weave elements of these communities together.  Dave currently sits on the Steering Committee of the Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance.